[News Terms] Europe's First Debut, Czech Customized Korean Reactor 'APR1000'

APR1400 Derived Reactor Type Exported to UAE
Obtains European Technical Standard Certification...Expectations for Export Expansion

Overview of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant in the Czech Republic. Photo by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power

As South Korea has been selected as the preferred negotiation partner for the new nuclear power plant construction project in the Czech Republic, attention is focusing on the Korean-designed reactor 'APR1000' to be supplied locally.

According to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power on the 18th, the APR1000 is a reactor type not currently existing domestically and is a derivative of the APR1400, which was supplied to domestic nuclear power plants and the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The decisive difference between the two types is the reduction in capacity from 1400 megawatts (MW) to 1000 MW.

Other specifications such as design life (60 years), capacity factor (90%), design basis earthquake (0.3g), and core damage frequency (less than once per 100,000 years) are the same as the APR1400. This is because the APR1000 shares the basic design concept with the APR1400 but with reduced capacity. A KHNP official explained, "The APR1000 reduces capacity by decreasing the amount of nuclear fuel and components," adding, "The basic structure and external appearance are identical to the APR1400."

The APR1000 was custom-developed in response to the Czech Republic's demand for lower power consumption compared to Korea. KHNP stated, "We proposed the 1000 MW-class APR1400 type to meet the Czech Republic's requirement for reactors under 1200 MW." Considering the local characteristics where power consumption is not high, a higher output could actually burden the power grid.

Image source=Capture from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power APR1000 introduction video.

Since 2016, KHNP has been pursuing the design development of the APR1000 with the goal of entering the 'medium-sized nuclear power plant market' applying European requirements. After starting the standard design of APR1000 in 2020 to obtain certification from the European Utility Requirements (EUR) organization, it passed the main review in 2022 and acquired EUR certification last year. The APR1000 reflects not only EUR but also the latest technical standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA). In contrast, the EPR1200 type from France's EDF, which competed with Korea in the Czech nuclear power plant bidding, reportedly has not yet obtained EUR certification.

KHNP explained, "By obtaining EUR certification, the APR1000 has proven its technical feasibility and licensing capability for nuclear power plant construction within Europe," adding, "It can be exported to countries pursuing nuclear power plant construction applying European technology, including the Czech Republic." Currently, South Korea is also promoting nuclear power plant exports to European countries such as Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Slovakia.

Meanwhile, the APR1400, which forms the basis of the APR1000 design, is South Korea's next-generation nuclear reactor developed domestically. It improved safety and economic efficiency by upgrading the previous model, the OPR1000.

The APR1400 is an independent Korean reactor type developed over ten years through collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutes including KHNP, Korea Electric Power Technology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (now Doosan Enerbility). A total of 2,300 personnel participated in its development, and it was first applied to Shin-Kori Units 3 and 4, which began construction in 2007. Shin-Kori Unit 3 started commercial operation in December 2016. The seismic design of the APR1400 nuclear power plant is 0.3g, capable of withstanding earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale. South Korea was able to establish itself as a nuclear power plant exporting country by first exporting the APR1400 type to the UAE.

Meanwhile, on the 17th (local time), the Czech government announced that KHNP was selected as the preferred negotiation partner for a large-scale project to build up to four nuclear reactors in the Dukovany and Temelin areas. This is the largest investment project in Czech history, with 24 trillion won to be invested in constructing two nuclear reactors.